Ukrainians were forbidden to compete at the Paralympics in uniforms featuring a map of Ukraine

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has banned Ukrainian athletes from competing at the 2026 Paralympics in Italy in uniforms that display a map of Ukraine.

This was stated on March 2 by the president of Ukraine’s National Paralympic Committee, Valerii Sushkevych.

“We prepared our sports—no, not even sports, but our ceremonial parade uniforms for the team. The International Paralympic Committee said: ‘No, no, no—this won’t do!’ They said the uniform was political. And they said no one would allow us to appear in such uniforms,” Sushkevych said.

He added that the prepared uniform “very emphatically ‘shouted’ that Ukraine exists in the world, in Europe, with all its territories and without Russia’s occupation.”

Suspilne published a photo of the jackets showing a map of Ukraine within its 1991 borders.

According to Sushkevych, because of the ban the Ukrainian Paralympic Committee had to make a new uniform and “urgently send it by bus to Italy, where our entire team is already located.”

Commenting on the IPC’s decision, Ukrainian Defense Ministry adviser Serhii Sternenko said that at the same time “the Russian team includes former servicemen who took part in the illegal invasion.”

“Russians are allowed to compete under their own flag, while Ukrainians are forbidden to show their territory. It’s simply absurd,” Sternenko said.

Russia’s team will take part in the 2026 Paralympics with its flag and anthem—for the first time since the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi. Because of this decision, Ukraine’s National Paralympic Committee and the Ukrainian team decided to boycott the opening ceremony of the Games.

The 14th Winter Paralympic Games will be held in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo from March 6 to 15.